The present invention generally relates to portable spreaders of both the broadcast and drop kind which are supportable on a pair of wheels and which can be manually pushed by an operator and whose dispensing rate, including on-off control, can be manually regulated.
Spreaders of this kind can be of two types, a unit which is permanently constructed at the factory, and an articulated unit designed for assembly by the consumer after purchase. In the latter case, the consumer is normally required to fit various parts of the structure or product together, usually with the aid of some basic tools in order to assemble the product into its final or finished form for use. After the product is assembled it is not intended for disassembly into its various parts, because some of those parts are "irreversibly" put together, that is, they are secured by nuts and bolts or one-way friction-fit devices that are not designed to be undone. In still other cases where some part of the product is designed for disassembly or collapsibility (such as a handle), there still remain other parts of the product--wheels, support stands, hoppers, gearing mechanisms and housings etc.--which after assembly by the consumer are intended to remain in place. Naturally, such products pose a problem if they are intended to be stored or transported after use, particularly if it is desired to place or store the product within the confines of a small space with other equipment, such as a closet, or in the back of a truck, or in the trunk of a car.
There is needed, therefore, to provide a product, such as a portable spreader, which can be purchased in a completely pre-assembled but collapsed state and which can be converted for use in a matter of seconds without the aid of any tools, and which can be put back into its collapsed state in the same amount of time.